Albert Pujols to reportedly interview for Astros' managerial opening

One of the greatest MLB players of the previous era will interview for another open managerial job. St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols will reportedly meet with the Houston Astros to discuss the team's managerial vacancy , according to The Athletic.

It's not the first time Pujols has interviewed to be an MLB manager. He interviewed for the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres vacancies last season, though he was not chosen for either position.

The Padres opted to hire Craig Stammen. The Angels might have been interested in Pujols, but reports suggested the two sides couldn't agree on contract terms , resulting in the Angels turning to Kurt Suzuki, who accepted a one-year deal with the team. The Angels declined to bring Suzuki back for 2027 and are searching for a new manager again this offseason.

While Pujols has not managed in the major leagues, he does have experience as a skipper. Following his retirement from baseball after the 2022 season, Pujols was named manager of the Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Republic in 2024. He helped lead the team to victory in the Serie Final during the 2024-25 season and the 2025 Caribbean Series. Pujols also managed Team Dominican Republic to a third-place finish at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Pujols should have a friendly audience when he attends his interview, as he was teammates with new Astros general manager Randy Flores. The pair spent four seasons together with the Cardinals, including a World Series-winning season in 2006.

Flores was asked about the possibility of talking to former teammates about the Astros' managerial opening when he was introduced as the team's general manager. At the time, he declined to get into specifics, saying he would lean on "network, experience and expertise" when considering candidates. In addition to Pujols, the team is expected to speak with Luis Urueta, the Texas Rangers' bench coach, and Brad Ausmus, the New York Yankees' bench coach, per The Athletic.

The Astros are in the market for a new manager after parting ways with Joe Espada in October. Espada spent three seasons as the team's skipper, putting up a 256-229 record.

Despite his regular-season success, Espada went into the 2026 MLB season in the final year of his contract. The Astros signaled they weren't bringing the manager back in October, allowing him to interview for the Seattle Mariners' open managerial job despite Espada still technically being under contract in Houston. The Mariners opted to hire Jason Kanzler instead.

Whomever the Astros hire will likely face high expectations in Year 1. Although Houston won just 81 games in 2026, that was good enough to reach the postseason, where the Astros lost in the wild-card round to the Chicago White Sox. It was a disappointing result for the Astros, who have made the postseason in 10 of the past 12 seasons.